The write effect: Women lead the way

Their heroines stride the streets, wield BlackBerrys and enjoy power lunches. They shop for Jimmy Choos, follow the South Beach Diet and have their dermatologists on speed dial. As for the heroes, they don’t mind pitching in with the housework or working out of home and can whip up a mean meal too.

The newest trend in Indian writing in English lies in the way authors are treating their subjects and their heroines. Gone are the gender stereotypes, the predictable storylines and the self-conscious writing. There is a fresh and often irreverent approach to writing today which readers are lapping up and enjoying immensely. The number of women writers in the country has also multiplied many times over when compared to their male counterparts.

Says author Usha KR, author of Monkey Man: “I think this trend has a lot to do with the way the space is evolving in India. Today, women can write about anything, like chick-lit, hedonistic accounts of their lives, thrillers or even graphic novels. Women are experimenting with all kinds of subjects and new voices are being heard all the time. I’ve noticed that when a space opens up, there will always be more variety. And literature always grows when there is more variety. But as more writers test the waters, there will be both good and indifferent writing in the market. Gradually, over time, an enduring genre will emerge.”

The reason why there are more women writers today in India could lie in the fact that there are more women readers who actually buy books. Says author Anita Nair: “Women are natural storytellers and they gravitate towards writing down their stories. Since there are more women readers, women-centric stories have a greater pull than male specific topics. But these days, there is a market for all kinds of subjects, popular or literary.”

According to Nair, the reason why women are more liberated in their approach to writing could be because books are no longer considered a reflection of the personal life of the author. “Earlier, there used to be a self-imposed censorship by the author herself,” she says.

“Women authors did not want to embarrass their parents or their families by writing certain things because they felt that their own morals would be questioned. Now, people don’t worry about such things and so there is a greater sense of freedom in the air. Women can write on any subject they like and do so as imaginatively as they like,” adds Nair.

Ahmed Faiyaz, managing director, Grey Oak Publishing and author of Love, Life & All that Jazz, feels the increase in the number of women writers can also be traced to the escalating literacy rates and the economic liberalisation in India. “The last 10 years has seen women from all walks of life bringing out successful content to the market,” he says.

“The success of a few has opened up minds and brought us closer to the West in terms of a women’s movement and the freedom of expression, which was stifled in the past. So many women also are writing poetry, posting stories and thoughts on blogs, in much larger numbers than men. As single women move from small towns to live and work in urban spaces, it’s possible that more of them are shedding their inhibitions and writing about their experiences of life in the city,” he adds.